While new opportunities will arise for mining companies and mineralrich countries , significant challenges will need to be overcome in mineral price volatility , mineral supply equity and resource sustainability .
The role of minerals in renewable technologies
The most commonly used minerals here are aluminum ( including its key constituent bauxite ), chromium , copper , iron ore , lithium , lead , manganese , molybdenum , silver , steel , zinc and the rare earth metal indium . Below is an overview of the key mineral requirements of the three most important elements of renewable energy technology : wind power , solar power and battery storage technology .
Wind Power
The wind turbine industry predominantly uses geared turbines with coil-driven generators that require significant amounts of copper . They also require aluminum , chromium , iron , manganese , nickel , steel and zinc .
Solar Power
The most commonly produced Solar Photovoltaic ( PV ) cells are crystalline silicon , followed by copper indium gallium selenide ( CIGS ), cadmium telluride ( CdTe ) and amorphous silicon / amorphous silicon-germanium .
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